Arc 5: The Heart Within
Road to a Hero:
Three chances in another world
Chapter 17. Thunderstruck
Arthur is taken aback by Leo’s sudden appearance. Leo stands proudly, while everyone else stares at him with intense anger burning.
Leo: “What’s with the sour faces?”
Soku: “YOU IDIOT! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONES TO TAKE EM’ OUT! NOW THE DAMN PILLER DUDES ARE GONNA SHOW UP!”
Leo starts rubbing his head, realizing that he had forgotten about that.
Arthur: “The hell you talkin’ bout!?”
Leo begins emitting an intense amount of lightning and rushes in to attack Arthur, giving Soku, Edward, and Julius time to collect themselves as well as get Rosemary to a safe place. As Leo bolts toward Arthur, attempting to pierce him with his spear. Arthur blasts flames through his mouth, forcing Leo back. Gray feels exhausted, getting forced back into his body. He takes a second to reconnect himself, being hit with a massive headache.
Peter: “You good?”
Gray rubs his head, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Gray: “Yeah…I need to take a few minutes…to rest.”
Peter: “If Leo’s down there… doesn’t that mean those Future Pillar dudes are gonna attack?”
Gray punches a hole into the castle's ceiling due to his anger towards Leo's actions.
Gray: “YEP! Ugh…at least he’s giving the others some time to rest.”
Peter begins to panic again, dropping a large pouch. Peter yells and is unable to catch it, but luckily Gray grabs it before it falls to the ground. Peter lets out a huge sign and grabs it out of Gray's hand.
Gray: “The hell’s that?”
Peter: “An explosive.”
Gray: “AND YOU DROPPED IT! AND I CAUGHT IT!”
Peter: “SORRY, SORRY!”
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Gray: “Damn dude…I wonder what’s going on down there.”
Edward lifts Rosemary and helps her stand, but she attempts to push him off. When he lets go she has some issues regaining her balance, but Soku pushes on her back to keep her upright.
Soku: “UP! You gotta leave Rosemary, you’re way too beat up.”
Rosemary’s sight goes wavy and her breath is weary, but she stands proud. Julius tugs on Edward's shoulder, getting his attention.
Edward: “Yeah?”
When Edward turns his head, he is surprised to be met with Julius’ head right beside his ear. He then begins whispering, making sure nobody can hear him
Julius: “Rosemary is done for, she has one good attack left in her. Soku might be able to keep Arthur's attention for a bit, and I can draw his attention as well. But you are our rock, I have beat you once before but now I think our strength is about even. The issue comes with durability, which is where you shine. Leo’s assistance will be a great aid, but once he fails we need to move in instantaneously.”
Arthur dodges and weaves Leo's attempted blows, easily curving around him. Arthur blasts flames from his feet, launching him onto the wall, blasting his intense black flames all around the room, narrowing where any of them can go. The wooden floor catches fire, forcing Soku to blast powerful winds all around them, trying to keep themselves safe. Leo charges at Arthur, launching his spear back and forth, calling it back over and over. Arthur waits until the spear is right by his head, and then he blasts flames around him, heating the metal. So once Leo calls it back it severely burns his hand. Leo winces in pain, allowing Arthur to charge up a ball of dark fire.
Leo pushes through the pain and releases a large amount of lighting around him, destroying the wooden floor under him as well as the stone wall behind him. The amount of lightning being produced begins to tear at Leo's body, but he doesn't falter and refines the lighting down into a dense coating of pure power.
Arthur: ‘YEAH, SUPER MOVE LET’S GO! COME ON, SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO. YOUR FINAL FORM OR WHATEVER! MAKE THIS FUN! JUST LIKE LAST TIME!”
Leo: “Last time I lost! THIS TIME WILL BE MUCH DIFFERENT!”
Leo takes a step, letting off surges of lightning so powerful that they destroy the stone walls, cracking and curving through them. A few strikes almost hit Edward and the others, so they step outside of the room for the time being. Leo vanishes and then suddenly appears right in front of Arthur. Arthur is quick to react, barely moving out of the way, right before he is hit by Leo and his spear. Leo curves his body, so as he lands he’s able to deploy a flurry of fast and accurate strikes toward Arthur. Arthur blasts flames from the front of his body, pushing him back and burning Leo in one move. Leo is quick to recover and sends his spear flying through the air. The spear cuts the side of Arthur's leg, with the lighting electrocuting him as well.
Arthur: “WHERE WAS THIS LAST TIME!”
Arthur begins to laugh, takes a deep breath, and begins to get serious. He flashes in front of Leo and delivers a flaming punch right to his face, then right on impact he shoots a stream of flames that burns through Leo’s lightning cloak and sends him tumbling into the wall behind him. Leo snaps his fingers, calling back his spear. Arthur blasts it with flames from his mouth, forcing Leo to release his call on the spear and let it sit on the floor. Arthur gets down, puts his hand on Leo’s shoulder, and begins talking softly to him.
Arthur: “You’re good, but I’m just better.”
Leo: “Go…to hell.”
Leo blasts lightning from his mark of providence, producing so much that it begins to bleed. But somehow he keeps going, so it eats at him more and more. Blue bolts of lighting and begins to coat his body, surging wildly. Leo’s mind goes blank, his soul goes cold, and his body is massively growing in power. Before Arthur can react, he gets hit in the stomach, shoulder, and face. He gets sent flying through the air, so Leo blasts past him, carries that same lighting around his body, and throws it like a bolt of lightning hitting his back. Arthur bites his lip, charges a massive amount of flames around his right leg, and blasts it toward Leo. The flames consume that entire side of the room, leaving Leo nowhere to go. So he calls his spear back, creating an opening that he can then throw through the spear once more. But this time he doesn't just get through it, due to his OD cracking, his skin peeling, and his mind going blank, he decides to put all his strength into this last attack. He uses the dragon's fist technique to throw the spear, while also coating the spear with all his lightning.
When he throws it a sonic boom erupts, giving Arthur no time to dodge. But somehow, for some reason, he’s able to most just enough so that instead of directly piercing him it only cuts a chunk out of his left arm. Leo’s body starts smoking as he falls to the ground, unconscious. Arthur speeds over to kill him, but he’s blasted back by a wave of wind. He turns his head, spits out some blood, and forms a large grin on his face.
Edward, Julius, and Soku walk back into the room, ready for the next stage of the battle.
End of Chapter seventeen